Undergarment



Jul 16, 1935. o. E. ROHN I 2,007,982

UNDERGARMENT Filed July 29, 1935 Patented July 16, 1935 PATENT OFFICE UNDERGARMENT Oscar Edwin Rohn, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada Application July 29, 1933, Serial No. 682,825 in Canada June 22, 1933 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in undergarments, and more particularly to a buttonless undergarment of the one-piece combination or union suit type.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved undergarment, of the type referred to, wherein the back portion is suitably joined to two front portions which are, in turn, joined to the trunk portion in crossed and overlapping relationship whereby to provide a closed front without the necessity of employing buttons or other fastening means.

. v A further object of the invention is to provide an improved undergarment, of the type referred to, wherein the back portion is joined to twofront sections which are secured in overlapping relationship to the trunk portion and wherein an elastic insert is secured around the back of the neck opening in order to insure a snug and perfect fit of the undergarment on the wearer.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved undergarment, of the type referred to, which is inexpensively and simply manufactured and which is adapted toproperly remain in position on the wearer.

These and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and. will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of the improved undergarment which is the subject matter of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a back view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the neck portion with an elastic insert therein.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View through the neck portion showing the Way in which the elastic insert is secured.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the front fabric sections.

The invention relates generally to an improved undergarment preferably made of knitted or other ribbed material and which is composed of a trunk portion, arm portions, a back portion, and two overlapping front portions which are joined to the back portion along the shoulder line. The edges of the front portions extend downwardly across each other so that the bottoms of the front portions overlap and are thus joined to the trunk portion by a single line of stitching. There is thus formed a neck opening which is triangular in front and which is substantially even with the shoulder line and extends along the top of the back portion in the rear. The manner of securing the overlapping front portions to the trunk portion will prevent the garment from slipping from the shoulder, but in order to obtain a more perfect fitting, an elastic insert is secured around the top of the back portion. This allows a slight stretching of 5 the neck opening when putting on the garment but insures the proper contraction thereof when the garment is, in place and obviates the necessity of using any buttons or other fastening means.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, the back portion ill is formed as an. integral part of the trunk or leg portions ll, Ill although this is not an essential feature of the invention inasmuch as the back portion may be separately secured to the trunk portion. The front of the undergarment, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing, is composed of two fabric sections l2, li (Fig. 5), each of which is cut to provide a narrow upper edge it and a lower comparatively wide edge it which is of substantially the width of the front waist line. One side it of each of the sections l2, lfi is substantially vertical, although provided with an arm opening, while the other edge it is angular so that the width of each section gradually increases from the upper to the lower edge. The angular edge it is cut so as to extend diagonally from one shoulder across the front of the garment. The upper narrow edge it of each of the front fabric sections 02, it is secured by a line of stitching i'l, l'l to shoulder pieces Hi, 98* respectively. The vertical edge iii of each of the fabric sections is secured to the back portion along a seam extending down from the arm hole. The shoulder pieces it, i B are, in turn, secured to the back portion it by a line of stitching it, W The angular edges iii of each of the fabric sections it, if cross each other to form a triangular neck opening and extend diagonally across the garment so that the lower edges it are positioned in superimposed relation. The lower edges are of approximately the width of the front waist line and are secured to the front of the trunk portion by a common seam or a single line of stitching 20. There is thus formed a. closed front portion of double thickness around the front waist line and a neck opening. The edges It are not secured together but are properly held in position by the novel manner of securing the front sections it, l2 to the back portion and the trunk portion. Suitable sleeves 2i, M may be provided of any desired length.

An edge band 23, 23 is secured to the edges it of the front sections. These edge bands may extend entirely around the neck opening or they may terminate at the shoulder pieces I8, I 8 respectively, as shown in the drawing. In order to insure a snug and more perfect fit, an elastic insert 24 is secured around the back of the neck opening. The edge 25 of the back portion In is folded, as shown in Fig. 4, and secured by a line of stitching 26 to keep the elastic insert in place. The inner edges of the shoulder pieces l8, ll! may be similarly folded to hold that part of the elastic insert which extends around thereto.

It is thus apparent that the elastic insert around the back of the neck opening permits the ready stretching of the opening when the garment is being put on, and, after the garment has been put on, the elastic insert will contract the neck opening and also hold the free edges l6 of the fabric sections l2, l2 in proper overlapping position without the necessity of employing fastening devices of any kind. The peculiar overlapping of the front fabric sections l2, l2 and the manner of securing the lower edges thereof to the trunk portion aid in keeping the garment snugly fitted to the body of the wearer so that no fastening devices are needed. Of course, the elastic insert may be extended or lengthened without departing from the scope of the invention.

It is apparent that minor changes indetails of the undergarment may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An undergarment comprising a trunk portion, a back portion, a front portion including a pair of fabric sections, each of said sections consisting of a piece of fabric having a substantially vertical edge and an inclined edge whereby the fabric section increases in width from the upper to the lower edge, said lower edge being of substantially the width of one half of the waist line, each of the lower edges of said sections being placed in overlapping relation and secured by a common seam to said trunk portion at the waist line, shoulder inserts secured to said back portion in position to leave a neck opening, the upper edges of said sections being secured to said shoulder inserts. the inclined edges of said sections crossing each other diagonally across the front of the garment and having an edge band secured thereto, and an elastic insert extending around the back of the neck opening from the front edge of each of said shoulder inserts.

2. An undergarment comprising an integral trunk and back portion, a front portion including a pair of fabric sections, each of said sections consisting of a piece of fabric having a substantially vertical edge and an inclined edge whereby each fabric section increases in width from the upper to the lower edge thereof, the lower edge of each of said fabric sections being of substantially the width of one-half of the waist line and being placed in overlapping relation and secured by a common seam to said trunk portion at the waist line, the upper edge of each of said fabric sections being thus spaced apart and secured to said back portion along the shoulder line toprovide a neck opening, the vertical edge of each of said fabric sections being secured to said back portion beneath the arm opening and the inclined edge of each of said fabric sections remaining unsecured, and an elastic insert secured to said back portion and extending partially around the neck opening to insure a proper fit.

OSCAR EDWIN ROHN. 

